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Stefany Hernandez is a national treasure in her home country of Venezuela. BMX is in her blood and from day one it was all about tapping into her greatness. Her brothers started racing first. She says her mom would take her to the track while still in the womb. Stefany got third in her first race and it lit a fire in her belly to succeed.

She would eventually travel the world to France and Switzerland to live, train, and work. She credits French coach Thomas Allier for taking her to the next level of competition. The world stage.

Stefany would eventually win a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, become world champion, and hit World Cup podiums.

In 2021 she called it quits on her career and moved back to Venezuela. Currently she is working on multiple ventures to help BMX in her country, the youth of her area, and helping out in the family business.

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Michael Bias has had an up and down 2024 season of racing elite BMX. He's had injuries, he wasn't picked to represent New Zealand for the Paris Olympics but he did win the overall in the Coupe De France as a rider and he contributed to his team, "Bmx Besancon" winning the overall title in the Coupe De France for the first time.

In this interview we talk about his mind set for the season, World Cups, the Worlds and what's left for him to race this season. I'll tell you, he 's racing an indoor in the South of France soon and then Grands. Yep, I said Grands.

Michael is one of my favorites to speak with because he's honest, sincere, and an overall cool ass dude.

When the season ends he's heading home to New Zealand for much needed break.

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Quillan Isidore is one of the fastest elites in the world. Coming into the Olympics in Paris it looked like he was going to be an alternate for the GB team heading to Paris. For a moment it looked like he was going until a return call from Kye Whyte put paid to those dreams. Q was the second alternate after Ross Cullen. It meant he wasn't traveling to the Olympics nor did he get any swag.

The let down forced him to do a reset. He's unsure he'll continue to receive funding from British Cycling. So, he's turned his eye to coaching to make up the difference to continue racing at a high level if things don't go his way. Quillan is even looking to bring his coaching skills to the United States for a stint.

At 28 years old Quillan says he still has a lot left in the tank. He says he's clearly looking to make the Olympic team for the Los Angeles Olympics and to be honest I think he can.

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Ethan Popovich is a stud. The Valparaiso, Indiana native began racing twelve years ago. He's ridden for teams like Mudslinger, DK Factory and currently Haro. He's a two time Junior National Champ, and he finished top ten at worlds in Rock Hill, South Carolina this year.

Popovich is known as a very skilled rider. He's coached Olympic Gold Medalist Connor Fields. He recently began hitting the world stage at World Cups. He's been racing nationals like crazy this season. Popovich is looking to win the national amateur title this year. Grands is a big objective at the end of the season.

Ethan says Tyler Whitfield and Olijuwon Davis are major influences on him as a person and racer.

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This topic in this episode was brought to me by Tony Stillinger, the owner of the "Extreme" team out of Florida. He's looking to increase the pro purses at races by creating a product line of goods and contributing money to the purses. Stillinger would eventually like a six race series strictly based on the money he generates from the product line.

To give context on what it's like to be a pro we reached out to Dale Holmes, a former pro who raced during the hey day of big checks in the 90's, Cam Bramer, a current young pro who is doing what he can to make a living in the sport he loves and former pro and all things BMX guru Alan Foster.

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26 year old Philip Schaub is seeing a dream come true. He's made the German Olympic team for BMX. He got the call roughly two weeks after the European Championships in Verona, Italy. He was sitting at the table in his apartment when he got the call.

The qualification process to make the Olympic team started in 2022. Schaub said it was a two part process. He said a rider had to earn points racing the World Cups and World Championships. The second part he said was really up to the coach of the national team.

Schaub was nervous about making the team because of a severe injury. He had a disc prolapse in 2023. The injury was so bad that he eventually needed to have surgery. That surgery put him on the coach and it left him only ten weeks to get in shape and score some points at the World Cup in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the World Championships in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

He did something right because Schaub will be in Paris when the racing begins August 1st at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium.

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When this episode drops we'll be 18 days out from the Olympics and 24 days out from racing at the games. In this episode I look at all the countries who have riders heading to Paris, who are the riders and what chance they have of making it to the mains.

I've even added my own predictions as to who will win gold, silver and bronze in the men's and women's races.

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Adam Welter races in the 41-45 expert class. The Minnesota native has been throwing a leg over a race bike for 36 years.

I met Welter when the family and I moved back to Minnesota in 2012. We eventually were on the same team, "Venom." The team would eventually become the #1 Bike shop team. I remember Welter as always having a smile on his face and happy to always give a kind word or a bit of advice for your racing. Whenever he was in the gate he was and is always in for the win.

Nowadays Welter is riding for BlackWidow BMX. The team is one of the most competitive in the country. He's scaled back the number of nationals he races since he got married and a baby but he's still as lethal as ever.

Welter started racing when he was 7 years-old. His first race was at the indoor track Elkhorn BMX in Wisconsin. He won his first race and the rest is history.

This interview took place during the Land O' Lakes Nationals.

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